FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 185, 4 February 1914, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY.

JEKSEY-ANii'tiS CROSS. The results of crossing Jersey and Ab-erdeen-Angus cattle are discussed ill the monthly bulletin of the International Institute of Agriculture. The experiments were made in tile North of England by au owner who, finding that Jerseys could not stand the severe climate of that part of the country, wished to try to combine the milk-fat producing properties of the Aberdeen-Angus breed. The first cross, that of an Aberdeen-An-gus bull with a Jersey cow, was eminently successful. The calves from such crosses were all black, one female only showing a patch of white under the udder. There are traces of Jersey in the udder, and linside the thighs and the ears are are also covered with hairs, as ill the ease of the latter breed. The females were, ail polled, but the males with age usually developed embryo horns or scars. A number of the cows have produced calves, and all but one have been as good milkers as their clams. The steers, which are only slightly larger than the Jerseys, have fattened readily, and fetched good prices. . The. tirst cross females have been crossed with sires of precisely the same breeding as themselves, but the offspring, it is stated, are of various colors and characteristics.

UNSHED MASHES, An expedient that may he tried in order to introduce it horse to the taste of 11 linseed mash, when the animal declines to touch it, is to smear some of it on the tongue. It is usually probably the smell which puts horses off this kind of mash, when unaccustomed to it, and not the actual taste. The mash may be prepared either by pouring boiling water over linseed meal, and allowing -,t to steam for a while, or else by boiling whole linseed for several hours. Linseed mashes have been found to be more nourishing than bran mashes, helled the former deserves the preference whert the horse will eat them, though it will be best to serve some bran mashes also for the purpose of providing a change, of diet, which has such a beneficial effect 011 all farm animals. 111 nearly all cases mashes should form an important item of the dietary of sick horses, but their use may have to 'lie barred, or at any rate restricted to a minimum, if there is much scouring. Dry linseed meal also makes an excellent food to give in cases of sickness and of this practically all .horses are very fond. NOTES.

A fanner at Omilii, Canterbury, has reaped a,crop of about 3000 bushels of oats, equal to 72 bushels per acre. During the last twelve months the pig industry in Manawatu has been illlowed "to slide" by many farmers, who considered that they were not getting "suflicient return for their trouble and the expense of feeding (says the Mnnawatu Times). The result is that there is a great scarcity of pigs in the district at tlio present time. A few of tile smaller farmers have been far-seeing enough to sight profit ahead, and their investments have been highly satisfactory. The next few months will sec a strong combination of fanners moving in the direction of establishing an up-to--date bacon factory on co-operative lines which will serve Manawatu and the surrounding districts. Mr. C. H. Ensor, president of the North Canterbury branch of the Farmers' Union, is of opinion that the time has arrived when the assistance of the State Advances to Settlers might. with advantage be supplemented by agricultural or Credit Fonder banks, for the purpose of supplying further loans at a cheaper rate of interest to farmers. This system, he says, was designed to secure that small men by combining and guaranteeing each other should obtain temporary loans on stock, crops, <>le. They formed groups, in connection wi.fh each of which there was a committee before which all applications went. The committee included ihe guarantors, ant consequently there was seldom any trouble. The ordinary banks at. lirst discouraged these agricultural banks, but they now encouraged them, as they gave the banks increased security. With the increased number of small holdings and the extension of the co-operative principle, the fanners wanted (lie be-l financial arrangiuents procurable. If farmers were abh< to finance among.-! themselves there would be fewer bound ovev tto sell their stock ami produce Ihronvli the linns which finance iliein. Ilclter security would also bring about a lower rate of interest, and by co-operation if would be possible for fanner- 1.0 arrange their loans with less legal expense and avoid the payment of procuration fees. I Denmark still sends Crest llritain

more butter thanany other foreign countries combined, ;ind .shows for l!l|3 an excess over ill) the 'Others of 0(51 tons. Denmark, Itnssiu (Siberia) and Sweden each sent move than Australia and Wv Zealand, while liussia and Sweden sent more than Australia and New Zealand: and the Continent, even apart from Denmark, or Russia, sent near!> as inueh as Australasia. Tim great ■ 'impel it or of Denmark it: Russia, whose latter is sent from two widely divided areas. Siberia and Finland.

In reference to diminution in milk-llow of dairy stork during a spell of tine weather. Mr. T. W. Lonsdale, manager iof the Momahaki State farm, told a W'anganui Chronicle, reporter that if farmers would only go in for scientific farming, and get out of the ground ■what it is capable of producing, there would not he the perennial cry regarding the shortage of feed. To show what might he accomplished under proper methods. 4 lu> mentioned that he had 25 dairy cows, nine hrood mares and +0 sheep running on 23 acres of land, and yet the eowJ are keeping up welt. lie .supplies them with chou muulier at Iho rale of l-cnllw per eow per day, and if dairy fanners would only make the necessary provision in green feed they t would lie well repaid for th"ir labor and foresight, farmers, lie said, could have a variety of crops going, so I hat if one failed, there would be no others to fall hack upon. It was all a matter of ai''rangement and management, and if his (suggestions were adopted, there would not be the diminution of butter-fat returns there are. If proper provision were made, they could have stock an •thick as they could walk about, so to -speak. A Southland 'firm recently of in a single line, 7000 sheep. This is thf largest individual deal that has taken place in that district for many years. Threshing from the stook at St. Leonard's station, Culverden, last week, yields of (JO bushels of liarley per acre, and well up to 50 bushels of whekt were recorded.

The question as to whether Lincoln sheep originally came from England hits been discussed frequently. Mr. VV. Perry, the well-known breeder, of Ims his doubts, and lie told a meeting of fanners that when he visited the Forum at "Rome lie saw a slab with iigures of a bullock, pip; and sheep upon it. The sheep was a true type of a Lincoln, and, therefore, it seemed that this breed must have been in existence for thousands of years. The annual conference of the Xow Zealand .Freezing Works and Allied Trades Federation will open at Wellington Trades Hall on 4th February at !>.:SO a.m. The agenda paper is not an extensive one, and consists of three remits from Canterbury and one each from Otngo and Southland. The most important is one. from Canterbury, as follows: —"That the finding of the Unity Congress held in July lie approved; that a ballot of members of all unions affiliated to this Federation he taken on the following question:—"That all union- in (his Federation affiliate with the Cnited Federation of Labor and Social Democrate party, t.he ballot to he token during the month of March, 11114. the mode of ballot to be drafted by the; conference. ' "

Professor I'arringdon told tile Illinois (U.S.A.) dairymen that the cow that gave llt.OOOlbs of milk could produce it for 2s lil a hundred, whereas the cow that yields only .KlOOlbs makes Tier milk cost 7s 2d per hundred.